The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-30

men.
The viscount said:
"Thanks."
The marquis exclaimed:
"You must excuse us for only COM
hgand going out again, but we have
still o thousand things to do. We
must secure o good surgeon, since the
duel is to end only on the serious
wounding OF one of the princlpals-and
you know bullets are not things to
Joke about. Then we must settle up
on good place-near some mousse or
other, to which we can carry the
wounded party if necessary-and all
that sort of thing. In short, we've
got two or three hours work before
us"
The viscount the second time artic-
ulated:
"rhanks."
The colonel asked:
"Well, you feel all right'-yon are
cool?"
Eyes; very cool, thank you."
The two menretired.
When he found himself all alone
again he felt as if he were going mad.
When his servant had lighted the
lamps he sat down at the table tc
write some letters. After having trac-
ed, at the head OF blank sheet OF
note-paper, the words: "This is my
last will and testament" he rose to his
feet with a sudden start and walked
away, feeling incapable of putting two
ideas together, of making any resolu-
ton, or deciding about anything what
soever.
So, he was going to fight. There was
no getting out of it now. what was
the matter with himY He wished to
fight; he had the firm intention OF
fighting; he had resolved upon it; and
nevertheless he clearly felt, in spite oil
his utmost determination, in spite oil
the utmost tension of his will, that he
could not possibly find the force neces-
sary to enable him to 60 as far as the
place of meeting. He tried to picture
the scene in his mind-his own atti-
tuds and the department OF his ad-
versary.
From time to time his teeth chatter
ed with a little dry noise. He wanted
to read, and took up Chateauvillard's
"Code du Duel" Then he asked HIM
SELF
"Does my adversary frequent the
shooting-galleriesY Is he known Is
his name published anywhere? How
can found out?"
He remembered Baron de Vaux's
book on the expert pistol shots; and
he went through it, from one end to
the other. George Lami's name was
not mentioned in it. But still, If that
man was not a good shot, he would
never have been 30 prompt to accept
q duel under such fatal conditions, with
so dangerous weapon.
As he walked up and down, he stop
ped before a little round table, on
which lay one of Gastinne Renette's
well-known pistol-cases. He took out
one OF the pistols, placed himself in the
position OF man about TO fire, ana
raised his arm. But he trembled from
head to foot, so that the barrel OF the
pistol quivered and pointed in all d.
rections.
Then he said to himself:
at is simply impossible. i shall
never be able to fight as | am now"
He looked down the muzzle OF the
barrel, into the little. deep, black hole
which spits out death. He thought
OF dishonor, Of whisperings in the sa-
Ions, of laughter at the clubs, OF the
contempt that women can show, OF
illusions in the newspapers, OF the
open insults he would receive.
Still he stared at the weapon, and,
pulling bacT; the hammer, he suddenly
observed cap shining under it; like q
tiny red flame. The pistol had re-
NAMED loaded by some chance, some
forgetfulness. And the discovery filed
him witii a confused and ineX plicablo
Joy.
II me could not maintain before the
other man the cool and dignified de-
pertinent which behooved him, then
he would be ruined forever. He
would be stained, branded with
the stamp OF infamy-driven out
OF society," And that calm, fearless
attitude ne wonld not be able to
have; he knew it; he felt certain OF it..
Yet he was brave enough, since he
wanted to fight He was brave, since
-. But the half-shaped thought
never completed itself in his mind; for
suddenly opening his mouth as wide
rs he could, he thrust the muzzle OF
the pistol in, back to his very throat,
and pulled the trigger.
When the valet de chambre-startled
by the report Of the pistol-ran In,
he found his master lying on his back
dead. A gush OF blood had spattered
over the white paper on the table and
~ l.1-t al. "a toIx n,